The Morning After The Night Before:
Interview with Anthony Quinlan (Gilly)
We talk to Anthony Quinlan - AKA Gilly Roach - this week, to find out more about the stunt where Gilly lost his teeth, and what he thinks about filming these mini online episodes...
Why does Gilly decide to join Josh in Manchester?
Gilly decided to join Josh because he's had enough of the Hollyoaks village. He wanted a change of scenery and since Josh is obviously having a good time, meeting new people and experiencing a different atmosphere, Gilly just wanted to be involved.
What did Gilly think of Josh's new friends when he first met them?
I reckon Gilly liked all the new friends, to be honest. He seemed to fit in straight away and when he first turned up at the nightclub, they all seemed quite welcoming. He introduced himself, and they accepted him straight away - he just wanted to get involved and have fun.
How did his perception change?
His perception changed slightly. He had a bit of a rough time of it as the week went on; it started off great, they had a couple of drinks, everything went well and he drank, obviously, far too much and Gilly came out unfortunate... knocked a few teeth out, not a good look. He had the mick taken out of him by Dave; there was no real sympathy towards Gilly when all he was doing was looking after Josh. So yeah, his perception did change.
What does Gilly make of Josh's attitude around his new friends?
Josh's attitude definitely changed around his new pals, he was playing the 'big one' and showing off a bit, playing up to the crowd. I don't think Gilly took to it too kindly to it, to be honest - it's just not Josh. Gilly knows him and he’s like a brother to him, so he turned his nose up at it.
Do you think losing his teeth made Gilly less confident?
Gilly's confidence was always low really - self-confidence, self-belief. But having no teeth isn't good to look at - not a good look. It's going to draw attention to him and not do him any favours.
What do you think Gilly has learnt by the end of his stay in Manchester?
I think Gilly's learnt to chill out a little, not to follow the crowd and be a sheep. Everyone was drinking loads, he got caught up in it and he came out on the wrong side of it. So, I think there is a lesson learned there - Gilly will do his own thing and not drink as much.
How has working on these episodes compared with your usual Hollyoaks filming?
I enjoyed working on these episodes. It was a change of scenery, out of the ordinary, and that's good to keep it fresh. We had a great crew, a great director and a great cast of people - it was an absolute pleasure!
What do you think when you first read your storyline for these episodes?
When I first read the storyline, I thought 'this is going to be quite cool'. Then as I read further on I realised it was going to quite gripping and there was a kerfuffle, I thought 'I can get my teeth into this'. As most of it was filmed on location in Manchester, I was looking forward to getting back to my roots.
Tell us a bit about your stunt...
Well, I didn't have much to do in the stunt, it was all down to our stuntman Andy Smart - I take my hat off to Andy he was unbelievable - a one take wonder. He threw himself down a set of stairs, about 10 or 11 steps - he went for it straight away, launched himself down and it looked unbelievable. Then at the last moment, I step in and pick myself up off the floor to show what happened (to my teeth). I didn't have much to do in the stunt, I'd have loved to, but I'm not big enough or man enough to do it!
What did they use to make it look like Gilly had lost his teeth?
They used chopped mints as teeth, what I spit out on the floor, and gelatine with dye for the blood. It looked unbelievable - a really good effect. After the teeth were knocked out, I got a palette fitted (went to the dentist and it cost a lot of money), which blacked the front teeth and left a chipped one at the side. It was quite difficult to speak, which you'll notice when you watch the Morning After the Night Before and the normal show in a few episodes. But you'd have a speech impediment if you'd had your teeth knocked out, so it was quite realistic.